Why Discipline Is Better Than Punishment
Some time ago, I spoke at an educator event in Missouri. During the Q and A period, a gentleman raised his hand with a deep concern: “Today, it seems like we’re quick to penalize (even suspend) students for wrong behavior more quickly than when I was in high school. Do you see the same thing?”…
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One Important Resolution to Make This School Year
I just read some research that confirmed what I suspected for years. Even though students in Generation Z (those growing up in the 21st century) desire to “make the world a better place,” volunteering is down, not up. Yes—you read that correctly. Here is a quick summary of the findings from Education Week: A recent study…
Continue ReadingFour Expectations Generation Z Has of Future Employers
The first wave of young adults from Generation Z are entering the workforce, and believe it or not, they are different from the Millennial Generation, who are a bit older than they are. Generation Z is the population who grew up during the first fifteen years of the 21st century. Although those years involved economic…
Continue ReadingThe Dark Side of Alexa and Siri for Your Kids
This summer, I witnessed something I never anticipated in a young child. I was visiting a friend’s home who had three young children. They also have Alexa, a smart speaker in their kitchen. His kids are growing up with artificial intelligence around them all the time—smart phones, smart watches, and now smart tech you can…
Continue ReadingHow Generation Z Shops and What It Means for Us to Teach Them
If you are communicating with middle school, high school or college students, you already know they’ve grown up in the digital world. They are the Touchscreen Generation, also known as “screenagers.” It may surprise you to discover, then, that 98 percent of them still shop in brick and mortar stores—some or most of the time. …
Continue ReadingWhat School Is All About
Growing Leaders recently hosted a RoundTable for Principals in Atlanta. It was a joy to hear from best-selling author Dan Pink, authors Will Parker and DeeAnn Turner and an educational panel made up of Julie Diaz, Gary Davison and Dorothy Jerrett. One of my favorite learning moments, however, occurred during a break. Renee Hood approached…
Continue ReadingThree Ways to Beat Social Media Addiction
For three years, we’ve heard teens say in our focus groups that they are “addicted to social media.” In fact, it’s been said so often, it almost sounds cliché. Today, however, some of the early pioneers of social media platforms admit they purposely created features that not only lure us into overuse, but they hold…
Continue ReadingSometimes Leadership Is a Life or Death Situation
Sometimes helping students goes far deeper than our usual activities on a typical day. Take Sheila Fedrick’s situation for instance. Sheila is a flight attendant with Alaska Airlines. She’s a fifteen-year veteran and is good at her job. Typically, this means she has a pleasant attitude and serves nice cold drinks to the passengers. Oh,…
Continue ReadingAre We Really Wasting Time When We Play?
Last month, I enjoyed hearing best-selling author Daniel Pink at our RoundTable for Principals in Atlanta. Dan shared some highlights from his newest book, “When,” which is all about the science behind the best ways to leverage our time. Part of his session was about when we (and our kids) take time to play. Fred…
Continue ReadingWhat Effective Leaders Know About Handling Conflict
We live in a day of irony. When I look at our society, I see more conflict today than we’ve had in the past—politics, gender equality, racial equality, immigration, you name it. At the same time, it feels like we don’t know how to handle conflict in a productive manner. Want a fresh illustration? It…
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